Onam 2026: Indian Railways doubles special train trips to Kerala to 112 — check routes and dates

Indian Railways has notified 112 special train trips for the Onam 2026 season, compared with 55 trips in 2025. That represents an increase of approximately 103%. Most of the originally announced services cover the peak festive period between August 14 and September 6, although some trains have subsequently been extended. 

Southern Railway has notified 54 of the 112 trips. The remaining 58 are being operated by other railway zones, including South Western Railway, South Central Railway and South Eastern Railway. The arrangement is intended to connect Kerala with major passenger centres in neighbouring states and other parts of India.

Onam specials connect Chennai-area terminals including Dr MGR Chennai Central, Tambaram and Chennai Egmore with destinations such as Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram. Depending on the service, trains travel through important junctions including Erode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Kottayam. Mangaluru should be treated as a separate Karnataka-coast origin, not placed under Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka services include trains between SMVT Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram North, Hubballi and Kollam, Mysuru and Kannur, and Hubballi and Kottayam. Some Bengaluru and Hubballi services have been extended through late September, beyond the original September 6 peak-period window. 

South Central Railway has notified services including Hyderabad–Kollam, Cherlapalli–Kollam and Hyderabad–Mangaluru Central. The Hyderabad–Kollam service travels through Secunderabad, Guntur, Renigunta, Erode, Shoranur, Ernakulam and Kottayam. Services from eastern India, including the Santragachi region, provide additional connections to Kerala.

The figure of 112 refers to notified trips and may increase if the Railways introduces additional services. Travellers should confirm the train number, operating date, boarding station and stoppages through IRCTC, NTES or the relevant railway zone before booking, since extensions and timetable revisions can be announced during the festive period.